Subpictures

Another type of still frame image that can exist on a DVD is a subpicture or subpicture overlay. Despite a name that suggests that it goes beneath an image, a subpicture is a static graphic that instead actually overlays a video screen or still frame. Subpictures are not detailed, full-color images—they are simple bitmapped shapes that exist to either accentuate parts of a screen image or superimpose text over a video. A subpicture is only visible in the support of a still graphic or video, never on its own.